2 minutes agoState Department: Serious restrictions on freedom of expression in Kosovo
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)In the World Human Rights Report in 2021, the State Department showed that in Kosovo important issues of these rights included reliable reports of; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media, including violence or threats of violence to journalists. Reports that government officials, political parties, businesses [...]
Reports that government officials, political parties, businesses related to government, religious groups and disgruntled individuals pressured media owners were also noted in the latest report published by the UN.
The report stresses that although the government in general respected the right of expression, reliable reports say some public officials, politicians, businesses and religious groups tried to intimidate media representatives. Funding problems also damaged media independence. Journalists faced difficulties getting information from the government and public institutions, despite laws offering access to public documents.
Independent media, said further, were active and expressed a variety of views, generally without restrictions. However, there were reports that government officials, some political parties, businesses associated with government, religious groups and disgruntled individuals pressured media owners, editors and journalists not to publish certain confessions or materials.
Some journalists refrained from critical investigative reporting because of fear of their physical safety or their workplace.
While some self-resistant media approved editorial policies and independent broadcasts from political and business interests, those with less resources sometimes accepted financial support in exchange for positive coverage or to refrain from publishing negative confessions harmful to funders' interests.
According to some editors, financing was partially limited because the government was reluctant to buy advertising in the media that published critical materials to government policies.
By December, the Kosovo Journalists' Association reported 26 cases when government officials, business people or representatives of community groups or religious groups violated freedom of the press by physically attacking or physically threatening journalists.
The report notes that some journalists complained that owners and media managers prevented them from publishing or broadcasting critical material to the government, political parties, or individual officials. /Periscope.
